


The Jock, The Hipster, and the Wardrobe

by orphan_account



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-21
Updated: 2012-12-21
Packaged: 2017-11-21 21:33:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/602301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For Kiana's birthday. Prompt was HS AU, Dean, Cas, jock, hipster, and closet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Jock, The Hipster, and the Wardrobe

Dean remembered being told all through his life that senior year of high school would be the best time of his life. For a long time, he believed them. He was that all-American, apple-pie, picket-fence kind of kid. Always had been. And then came the summer when he decided organized sports were pase. When he decided only losers wore camouflage, and aspiring to  be like your parents was a crime against nature. That was the summer Dean Winchester became a certified hipster.

Don’t get him wrong, he loved the life he had. Good food, good music, good friends, better pot. LIfe was eaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasy like Sunday morning, and honey, every day was Sunday for Dean. Of course, with his newfound life, he discovered other things along the way. Like the time he went and got naked, ready to get down and dirty with one Lisa Braeden--she had a thing for “quirky” guys--and he just could not get it up. Not if his life depended on it, which, in terms of high school, it totally did. This unfortunate incident happened the summer just before Dean’s senior year. Suffice it to say, senior year would not be the best time of his life.

He heard the whispers before he noticed the stares. _“Did you hear? Chance to go all the way with Braeden and couldn’t get a rise!” “I bet he’s gay. Totally explains the fagtastic clothes he wears.” “Ugh he better not sit next to me in homeroom.”_

He didn’t mind it, exactly. He’d long ago chosen the path of exclusion. But when his own friends couldn’t look him in the eye? That stung.

Meg muttered a swift, _“It’s nothing on you, Dean, it’s just that we were already unpopular and well...”_ before they all walked away. This was the moment Dean decided high school was a crock, and so was every asshat who told him he’d love it.

Of course, he hadn’t counted on the new kid. He didn’t actually see him until sixth period, but he’d heard plenty.

_“He’s from Los Angeles!” “_

_He’s already got four football scholarships!”_

_"He’s the best young quarterback the scouts say they’ve ever seen!”_

_“He’s got two older brothers and a twin sister. If you think she’s hot, wait til you see him!”_

_“I heard his family is like, weirdly religious, and they’re all named after angels.”_

_“Who cares? He’s a BABE.”_

Of course, Dean knew better than to listen to what his classmates say about people. Just looking at what they say about him, he knew better. But then he went to take his seat in physics, and the only one was at the lab station at the back of the classroom, next to a kid who had his head down and was wearing a royal blue letterman jacket. Dean was momentarily confused, as their school colors were red and gold, but with a jolt he realized this must be the new guy.

Neck growing warm with embarrassment, Dean went to sit down, hoping this kid didn’t listen to rumors too much, and praying he wouldn’t make fun of his wolf tee. To his surprise, the kid looked just as nervous as he did.

“Hey,” Dean said easily. “I’m Dean. Dean Winchester. Guess we’re lab partners.”

“Hello,” the boy said, in a voice far too gruff for someone their age. “I am Castiel. And yes, so it would seem.”

Dean noticed Castiel didn’t return his friendly smile, but his eyes seemed light and teasing. He took that as a good sign, and sat down. “So what other classes have you got? I’ve heard rumors about the new guy all day, but this is the first I’ve seen of you.”

“That would be due to my being in the counselling office all afternoon, I would imagine,” Castiel said, sliding his schedule toward Dean. “Do we have any other courses together?”

Dean skimmed over Castiel’s schedule, a grin appearing on his face. “We have every class together except homeroom. You’re in with the juniors, but that might just be because there’s no room in the senior one. It happens occasionally.”

“Yes, the counselor explained that.” Castiel actually smiled this time. “I’m glad to know I’ll have a friend in all of my classes, at the very least.”

Dean couldn’t help but blush and grin sheepishly at that. He didn’t exactly make friends easily. “Yeah, and there’s totally still empty seats next to me in all of them. You might want to know this ahead of time, but people don’t typically want to be my friend.”

“Why is that?”

“I’m considered too weird for them. And then there was the incident over the summer...”

“Which was what, if you don’t mind me asking?” Castiel didn’t look taunting or cruel, so Dean took a shot.

“Well, it all started with--”

“Mr. Winchester, if you’re quite finished, we do have a syllabus to go over and only forty minutes in which to do it,” Mrs. Harvelle called out.

“Later,” Dean mouthed to Cas. “Sorry, Ell--Mrs. Harvelle.”

Mrs. Harvelle didn’t grin at the slip, but nor were her eyes cold. She was an old friend of Dean’s father’s and Dean used to hang out with her daughter Jo when they were kids. Out of respect for her, and not the subject, Dean actually paid attention during the entire period. After class, he gave Cas his cell number and said to text him if he needed anything. Cas had seventh period football, and Dean had a free. Cas gratefully entered Dean’s digits into his phone and sent a quick identifying text.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” Dean said with a grin.

“Tomorrow for sure,” Castiel replied, smiling fully this time.

As Dean walked the opposite way as Cas in the hall, he heard Lisa Braeden approaching Castiel, saying, _“You better stay away from that Winchester. He’s a freak and probably a queer.”_

Cringing, Dean waited for Castiel to thank her. Instead he heard a simple, _**“So?”**_

With a grin that could light up the eastern seaboard, Dean headed home.

* * *

  
About two weeks into the semester was the homecoming game. Castiel was nervous, Dean could tell, as he was scribbling endlessly on his notes, making them illegible. After finally having enough of the scratching noise, Dean reached over and grabbed his hand.

“Whoa, Cas, calm down. It’s just a game, you’ll do fine.”

Castiel froze, his eyes widening slightly as he stared at Dean’s hand on his. Dean quickly cringed and pulled away, hoping he didn’t make a mistake or overstep anything. “Thanks, Dean. I don’t know why I’m so nervous. I think it has to do with this being a new school and all.”

“Man, if what I’ve seen you do at practice is anything to show for it, you’re golden.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Cas spoke up. “You never told me what happened last summer.”

“You never told me while you were in the counselling office all day on your first day here,” Dean countered.

“Fair enough. But I did ask you first,” Castiel teased.

“Fine. Okay, so we’ve discussed me being weird compared to everyone else. Well, Lisa Braeden has a thing for what she called quirky guys and apparently I fit the bill on that. She decided she wanted to go out with me, so we went on a few dates. It was pretty fun and she was easy to talk to. But then she wanted to...you know. Have sex. And I thought I did too, because I liked her, but as soon as I saw her naked, I wasn’t interested. And it’s not that she’s not beautiful, because she is. But I just couldn’t help thinking...she’s not a guy. And that’s why I wasn’t interested.” Dean’s voice grew so quiet Castiel had to lean in to hear the rest. “She started yelling at me about using her to come out of the closet. I told her I wasn’t even aware I was in it, and she retorted that I could probably see Narnia from there. After that, I became the weird queer kid.”

Castiel didn’t respond, but he didn’t back away, act repulsed, or freak out either. After a few minutes, he looked Dean square in the eye and said, “That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard of being an outcast for. These people wouldn’t last a day in Los Angeles.”

Dean laughed, a huge weight lifting off his shoulders. “So what about you? What’s your sob story?”

Castiel took a deep breath before telling his story quickly, without looking at Dean. “My mother died giving birth to me and my twin sister, Anael, so growing up it was just my brothers and my dad to look after us. About a year ago, though, my dad vanished. Literally was there one day and gone the next. About a month before we moved here, his body had turned up in the Los Angeles harbor. He’d killed himself, and left a note in his pocket. Most of the note had decomposed with his body, but what was legible said he couldn’t handle the pain of raising us without our mother anymore. A week after we found him, my brothers found me trying to hang myself.”

Dean, unsure what to do, simply leaned over and wrapped his arms around Castiel. “I can’t pretend I understand how you felt, but I for one am pretty glad you’re here today.”

Castiel was tense under Dean’s grasp for a few beats, before he found himself falling into the hug. “Thank you, Dean. I am glad as well.”

They separated and sat awkwardly before they both started laughing so hard that tears fell from their eyes. “We are one fucked up coupla guys, ain’t we?”

“I wouldn’t use those exact words, but yes,” Castiel conceded. “Promise you’ll be at the football game on Friday? I know you said organized sports are fascist and all, but football’s really the only thing I’m good at. And I’d feel less nervous if my best friend was there.”

Dean flushed at the best friend remark, and agreed. Secretly, he hoped Castiel could one day be more than his best friend. For now, though, he’d wait.

* * *

  
Homecoming came and went and Castiel was the new rockstar of Lawrence High. He hung out with his teammates and the cheerleaders in school more than he did Dean, but Dean didn’t mind. Not when every two minutes he got a text from Cas offering some comment on the glibness of the “it-crowd.” Dean once joked that thanks to Castiel’s commentary, he could become the Gossip Girl of their school, but the joke was lost on Cas. They spent time together in class, at lunch on Tuesdays, and after football games when Cas wasn’t going to the diner down the street with the team.

All in all, it wasn’t a bad way to be. Still, Dean found himself wanting more. A lot more, actually. In a way, he sort of felt that now he was in a closet, one with memories and pieces of Castiel hanging neatly on racks, organized by importance and relevance. In one corner hung the memory of their first hug; in another you could find the first time Cas took a ride on Dean’s motorcycle. Hiding at the back was the first time Dean had laid eyes on him. This closet was a more difficult one to be in, since Dean had no idea what way Castiel’s preferences swayed. He was determined though, to find out.

* * *

  
It was the biggest game of the season, the intercity rivalry game, and Castiel begged Dean to go. “Please please please please please please please Dean, this is more important than homecoming. This is the biggest game and everyone will hate me if I fail and I can’t do this without you, PLEASE.”

Dean grinned, unable to keep up the charade any longer. “I just like hearing you beg, Milton. I’m in.”

Castiel half-heartedly punched Dean’s shoulder before running down the hall toward the locker room, shouting, “Don’t be late!”

* * *

  
Lawrence High creamed their rivals, and Castiel’s throws were impeccable. The crowd surged onto the field, and Dean went with them, running about looking for Castiel. When he finally spotted him, he found his feet acting of their own accord as he ran toward his best friend. Without a second’s hesitation, Dean threw his arms around Castiel’s neck and pulled his face down until their mouths collided in a rather painful clash of teeth on teeth, dry lips on soft ones.

Castiel, for his part, didn’t panic too much, and after hardly half a second, his hands were on Dean’s waist, pulling him in close. Dean was wearing Castiel’s old letterman from his school in LA--Cas had forgotten he’d left it at Dean’s--and Castiel used it as leverage to pull him in as flush as possible. The crowd had grown silent, and remained so when Dean and Castiel parted, their faces red.

A heartbeat passed, and then their were wolf-whistles, catcalls, and a general sound of approval. Castiel’s teammates were patting Dean on the back, and the cheerleaders were cooing over how cute it was. Well, all but Lisa were.

Dean just grinned and took it all in, wondering how this was his life as Castiel snaked his arm around his waist, leaned over, and whispered, _**“Let’s get out of here.”**_


End file.
